Not every child in an orphanage is an orphan.

While it's certainly true that some kids in orphanages have lost their parents, there are many other reasons a child may be growing up without a family. At The Hope Effect, we often use the phrase “orphaned and vulnerable children” – which speaks to the fact that children may need family-style care because of other circumstances.

Sometimes, for whatever reason, parents cannot care for their child. In other cases, the government steps in to remove a child from a dangerous situation. This often occurs if a child is being abused or if parents are struggling with drug or alcohol addiction. And sometimes, children are removed from their home because of “omission of care,” or neglect.

Eduardo and Carlos

Eduardo and Carlos are brothers living in Chihuahua, Mexico. The young boys were removed from their home and admitted into an infant care facility due to the omission of care.

At that time, both boys required special care due to health concerns. Eduardo, a toddler, had a medical condition that caused mobility problems. As a result, he was not able to walk or run properly.

His younger brother Carlos had respiratory issues, which were extremely dangerous for such a young child. In fact, when he was only a few months old, he was hospitalized with pneumonia and was fighting for his life for more than three weeks.

During that time, the Garza family began visiting the boys at this hospital. The Garzas were trained by our team in Chihuahua to provide family-style care, and had previously cared for several other orphaned and vulnerable children.

The Garza family started building relationships with Eduardo and Carlos, showing the boys love and attention. At the same time, the boys’ grandmother was also visiting them at the hospital. Although she couldn’t immediately care for Eduardo and Carlos, she was there for the boys during this critical time.

The Road To Recovery